


Christmas in July

by aggiepuff, Whedonista93



Series: Zutara Week 2019 [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Christmas In July | Christmas Out Of Season, F/M, Gift Giving, Prompt Fic, Zutara, Zutara Week 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-30
Updated: 2019-07-30
Packaged: 2020-07-27 00:29:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20036791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aggiepuff/pseuds/aggiepuff, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whedonista93/pseuds/Whedonista93
Summary: GAang tradition dictates gift exchange takes place in July. Zuko knows immediately he's going to regret bribing Toph to rig the secret Santa drawing.





	Christmas in July

**Author's Note:**

> aggiepuff: Shit we're missing Zutara week  
whedonista93: Shit! We can totally catch up.
> 
> Day 1 - July 28 - Gifts

Zuko stared at the sparkly blue paper, printed with shiny snowflakes, sitting on the counter. The box could easily fit in his palm and Suki promised the wrapping was tasteful, as far as Christmas paper went. Six months later, Zuko wasn’t so sure.

Something buzzed near his left hand. Absently, Zuko picked up his phone, glancing at the screen. Message after message in the GAang group chat popped up on his screen, phone buzzing every time a new one appeared. 

**Aang**: Christmas in July drawing 2nite @ Jasmine Dragon!

**Sokka**: Shit! That’s 2nite?! I have a thing.

**Suki**: Ignore him, we’ll be there.

**Toph**: I’m drawing this year, losers

**Katara**: See u guys 2nite

Zuko blinked down out at the messages, trying to understand what was going. Seeing his chance, he quickly typed a response in the lull of rapidfire texts.

**Zuko**: wth is Christmas in July?

**Sokka**: Katara, u didn’t tell ur bf about Christmas in July?!

**Katara**: He was ur friend first, I thought u told him

**Sokka**: nope

**Zuko**: still don’t know what it is…

**Aang**: Chill, Sifu Hotman - we exchange Christmas gifts in July

**Zuko**: y?

**Suki**: started when we were broke college students & couldn’t afford friend gifts on top of family gifts. Just stuck.

**Aang**: Secret Santa style

**Katara**: keeps things fair

**Toph**: I’m in charge of drawing this year so Sokka can’t cheat

**Sokka**: i resent that

**Suki**: you resemble that

**Toph**: Sassafras speaks truth

**Sokka**: y is every1 ganging up in me? :'(

**Katara**: You are gonna come, aren’t you, Zuko?

**Zuko**: Yeah, of course

The message alerts stopped as quickly as they started, and Zuko stared at them for all of two seconds longer before he glanced at the box still on his counter and called Toph.

“‘Sup, Sparky?”

Zuko kicked at the ground. “This gift thing… are the exchanges in the group?”

“Nah. We’ll draw tonight and you have ‘til the 25th to exchange. Doesn’t have to be in front of anyone.”

_ Thank Agni for that. _ Zuko swallowed and fought to keep the nerves from his voice when he said, "So, obviously you aren’t gonna let Sokka cheat, but how do you feel about rigging it for someone else?”

“Lemme guess, you want Sugar Queen?”

“Maybe.”

“What do I get out of it?”

“Uhhh…”

“Chill, Sparky. You’ll owe me one field trip like that camping trip you and Sokka had.”

Zuko shifted nervously, remembering vividly the...interesting trip he’d taken with Sokka and his uncle. Sokka claimed it was life changing. Zuko wasn’t sure he wanted to repeat the experience. Still, this was Katara. He sighed. “Fine. One field trip, complete with cactus juice and everything else, _ if_, and _ only _ if, I get Katara’s name for the Secret Santa.”

Zuko could hear the huge grin on Toph’s face when she said, “Done.”

As he set his phone down Zuko prayed to the Spirits he wouldn’t regret this.

Zuko fidgeted around his apartment for another hour before giving up and going downstairs to busy himself in the shop the rest of the afternoon. Aang bounced - literally - through the door at a quarter to five and the rest of the group followed over the next half hour. 

Katara was the last to stumble through and Zuko’s heart clenched when she smiled at him. He set a highly caffeinated brew he’d been tweaking for the last week in front of her.

She took a sip, closed her eyes blissfully, then beamed up at him. “Do me a favor and don’t tell me how much caffeine you managed to pack into this, ‘cause I’ll convince myself not to drink it, and it’s too good for that.”

Zuko chuckled as he joined her on the couch and slung an arm around her shoulders. “You got it.” 

He didn’t think he’d ever get over the way she snuggled into his side.

Sokka jumped up on the low table they were gathered around. “Alright, alright, let’s get this over with!”

Katara kicked his ankle. “Sokka! This is tradition! Be patient.”

Sokka hopped up and down, rubbing his ankle ruefully. “I wasn’t kidding about having a thing.”

“Get off the table before the old man sets your ass on fire for breaking one of his tea pots,” Toph ordered.

Sokka grumbled his way back to his chair.

“I agree about getting this over with, though.” Toph pulled out her phone. “I’m starving and the longer this takes, the longer I have to wait to eat.”

Aang bounced in his seat. “Where’s the hat?”

Toph shook her head. “No hat this year. We’re using an app.”

“Toph, you hate apps,” Katara protested.

Toph grinned and pulled a hat out from her bag. “Yeah, I know. Just messin’ with you guys. Twinkle Toes, you’re up first!”

Aang bounded over the table in one leap and plunged his hand into the hat, then frowned at the slip in his hand. “Toph, this is in braille.”

Toph smirked. “Yup.”

“The rest of us can’t read braille.”

“And therefore can’t cheat and switch if you get someone you don’t want. I’ll read them and tell everyone who they got after we draw.”

“But then you know who everyone got!” Sokka whined.

Katara rolled her eyes. “Get over it, Sokka. Someone always knows. Toph _ has _ proven over the years to be the most fair about the drawings.”

“Sugar Queen, just for that, you’re next!”

Katara leaned over and snagged a slip, and around they went until everyone had drawn. Then, Toph situated herself on the other side of the shop and everyone took her their slips so she could whisper the names to them.

She didn’t even take Zuko’s slip before she whispered, “Sugar Queen,” and winked at him. If he didn’t know better, he’d swear she could see his raised brow. She rolled her eyes. “I just rigged the whole thing, Sparky. There aren't any names on any of them.”

Zuko had to bite back a laugh. “You’re devious.”

Toph shrugged. “Don’t forget our deal.”

“One camping trip,” he promised again.

Zuko spent every moment of the next two weeks regretting the bribe, because now that he actually had the opportunity to give Katara the gift, he wasn’t sure he should. He spent every waking moment between his dojo and his uncle’s shop, and took Katara out for dinner a couple times when her residency schedule allowed it, and actively avoided his apartment and the box taunting him from his counter. 

It turned out to be a fruitless endeavor when Katara got off early one afternoon and let herself into his apartment. He returned from the dojo to find her seated on a barstool at the counter, idly turning the box over in her hands. 

He froze in the doorway.

She turned and grinned, shaking the box lightly at him. “Got me for Secret Santa?”

He nodded numbly.

“Can I open it?” She asked excitedly.

He forced himself to breathe. “Uh, yeah. Of course.”

She beamed and tore the paper off before wiggling the lid off the box. She pulled out the little card on top and smiled softly, even as her eyes widened. 

When she pulled out the bracelet Zuko held his breath, watching as she examined each little charm - a yin and yang symbol patterned to resemble fire and water, a tiny conch shell she’d given him the first time he took the group to Ember Island, a miniscule picture of them sitting shoulder to shoulder next to a fire on the beach from that same trip, a tiny ship (a reminder of their first disastrous encounter with one another), a small crystal from the caves where they had their first almost friendly encounter, a jasmine blossom right next a little tea cup for their first actually friendly encounter.

Katara finally blinked up at him, teary eyed.

Zuko practically ran across the room to her. “Oh, Agni! Don’t cry! Is it really that bad?”

Katara laughed and tugged him forward by his collar, kissing him fiercely. “Zuko, it’s perfect.”

He slumped into her shoulder in relief.

She ran her fingers through his hair gently. “I do have one question, though.”

“Hmm?” he hummed against her neck.

She shoved him back gently and held the card open in front of him, the gift receipt still tucked neatly into the middle.

He cocked his head to the side, frowning. "What?"

She grinned. “The date on this is November, Zuko. You didn’t even get the guts to ask me out until January.”

Zuko felt his cheeks heat and silently cursed himself in every language he knew. “Uh…”

She pulled him back, kissing him slow and deep. Her hand wound around the back of his neck, nails scraping gently against his scalp. He gripped her waist, loving the feel of her, drowning in her. 

When she finally pulled back, he was a little dizzy, grinning down at her, completely forgetting he was supposed to be embarrassed about... something. He didn't know and he didn't care.

Katara held the bracelet and her wrist out to him. “Help me put it on.”

He obliged, and kissed her palm before he released her hand.

She grinned at him again. “So what did you have to promise Toph to pull this off?”

He sputtered. “Wha-”

Katara laughed. “One of my patients' mother’s is blind and Toph’s grin was too smug on drawing day. My slip just said ‘sucker.’ So I stole Sokka’s and had her read that one for me, too, and it said ‘loser.’”

Zuko sighed, knowing when he was beat. "I promised her a camping trip.

"A life changing field trip with Zuko?" She guessed.

Zuko glowered at the floor. "I hate Sokka."

Katara didn't dignify that with a response. Instead, she turned his head and pressed her mouth against his. Again, Zuko was overwhelmed by her, his world narrowing and expanding to just her, just Katara. He gripped her waist and pulled her close, deciding that, if Katara kissed him like this everytime he got her a gift, he'd have to get her things more often. _ But not stupid things_, he thought as he tangled his hand in her long, silken hair. _ Only good things. Only the best, important things. _


End file.
